This is a fine old, beautifully weathered wooden guardian
figure from the Jajarkot area of West Nepal. Such guardian
figures were placed at shamanic shrines, springs, bridges and
cross roads where they represent apotheosized ancestors and
assumed the duty of fending off malevolent entities and other
dangers, which tend to congregate in such areas. This one seems
to clearly have once been a "Pala" or guardian figure. It
appears that the arms, now lost, may once have held a rifle.
That would be typical of guardian figures of this form and
stature and would have almost certainly have been the case.

Those with more than a passing familiarity
with tribal art will note the similarity of these Nepalese
primitive wooden figures to similar pieces from the Indonesian
Archipelago (especially, in this case, the Hampatong figures of
the Dayak people) some areas of Oceania, and a strong semblance to
the Ifugao Bulul and Luzon Anito figures of the Philippines.
These types of cross cultural parallels among peoples separated
by vast geographic distances are very interesting. It brings to
mind the concept of subconscious archetypes that are an innate
psychological component of humanity, and which therefore reveal
themselves with only minor variation amongst groups separated in
both time and space. I think this is why so many of us are
attracted to tribal / primitive art - it strikes a very deep
chord within our being. We connect with our common humanity, and
sense something closer to essence - uncorrupted by generations
of urban domestication and an overdeveloped material environment
- the "affliction of comfort" so many of us in the west are
stricken with. We catch a glimpse of our own reflection, but an
untamed and raw likeness, that refreshes and invigorates us.